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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22608406">come and get me, okay?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawbebbiecupcake/pseuds/strawbebbiecupcake'>strawbebbiecupcake</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Darkest Minds Series - Alexandra Bracken</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:12:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,922</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22608406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawbebbiecupcake/pseuds/strawbebbiecupcake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>it's two weeks after thurmond. ruby still dreams. liam still worries.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ruby Daly/Liam Stewart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>99</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>come and get me, okay?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Liam could hear crying down the hall. It was muffled and far off, but he was painfully familiar with the sound of her harsh, desperate sobs. He quickened his pace, heart pounding until he was running down the hall and towards their bedroom door. </p><p>It opened with a soft click, and Liam fumbled in the dark for a moment before his hand found the edge of her bed. </p><p>He kept the light off, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. To her. Ruby's fists were tangled in her sheets, her breath coming in fast, ragged pants. Tears glinted down her cheeks, and she looked so furious and terrified and hurt that Liam felt his heart tear. </p><p>He wanted to punch something. Someone-he wanted to kill whoever made her feel this way. But it was too many people. Too much time. So he made his hands gentle, like he could ever be anything but with her, and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. </p><p>She whimpered, eyes flickering rapidly beneath her lids. </p><p>"Ruby? Hey. It's just a dream. Wake up, darlin'." </p><p>The pet name seemed to get something out of her, and she jolted violently. </p><p>And then Liam wasn't in their dark bedroom. </p><p>Everything was loud, pounding and aching, and sounds and scenes passed by in flashes too fast for him to really understand. </p><p>A head of curly hair, darkened with ash and blood. A hand reaching up her thigh. Clancy's face, leering, pressing kisses too hard, too much-</p><p>Pain exploded through him. His vision was fuzzy, heart pounding-then a loud, sickening crack ripped through his skull, tearing every coherent thought out until all he knew was pain. </p><p>His leg-no. Her leg. That was Ruby's dark skin, Ruby's quiet pants through the muzzle strapped onto her face. </p><p>Ruby's blood dripping onto the floor as a tall man in a dark suit stood over her with a baton, smiling cruelly. He brought it to her leg again. Pain whited her vision out, and she vomited onto the floor with a sickening slap against the cement. </p><p>He was so close, too close-fear and anger were at war within Liam, he could smell the lemon on the mans breath, see the too-bright light reflecting in his eyes as he leaned closer, closer-</p><p>"Your fault."</p><p>Ruby screamed. Liam gasped, slamming back into reality with a force so strong he fell off the bed. Ruby shot up, hands grasping at her throat, and Liam stumbled to his feet to grab her wrists before she could do any real damage. He wanted to cry at the red streaks she'd already left, the crazed, terrified look in her shining eyes. </p><p>"Liam?" her voice broke. </p><p>"Hey, darlin'." he said. </p><p>Ruby sobbed, once, before burying her face into her hands. Liam had his arms around her in seconds, pulling her close and pressing kisses to her forehead, her cheeks, her hair. </p><p>"You're okay. You're okay, baby. I'm right here. You're safe. Thurmond is gone." he murmured, stroking her hair. </p><p>Ruby shuddered, then stiffened. </p><p>"How-how'd you know?" she asked, voice rough. </p><p>Liam was quiet for a long moment, continuing his soft, easy strokes up and down her back. </p><p>"I saw." </p><p>Her breath caught in her throat, and she made a strangled sound. </p><p>"What?" she whispered. </p><p>She pulled back then, pushing herself to the wall and pressing a hand to her mouth. She was trembling violently, and a look of pure horror spread across her face slowly, quietly. </p><p>"Ruby-" </p><p>"Are you okay? Did I-what did I do?" she said. </p><p>Her voice was unnervingly even and calm, even as her throat bobbed and her eyes swam with tears. </p><p>"Stop." </p><p>He winced at the firmness in his voice, and Ruby's eyes snapped to his, the movement sprinkling a tear down her cheek so fast he barely saw it. </p><p>"I'm sorry, sorry, just-" he paused, reached forward to take her wrists. She was hesitant, but didn't pull away. </p><p>"Ruby. You could never hurt me. Okay? I trust you. Completely. More than I trust anyone else." </p><p>Her eyes flickered over him, glinting in the darkness of the room. Shining with tears and fear and, deep behind it all, hope. </p><p>"Come here, darlin'." </p><p>Her bottom lip trembled, but she sank into him, slowly relaxing to bury her face in his chest. She was trembling against him, and he could feel the dampness of her tears kiss his skin through his shirt. </p><p>"What did I do?" she asked. </p><p>Liam ran a hand over the back of her head, pressing his lips to her forehead. </p><p>"First, if you feel guilty I will tell Vida that you know when her birthday is and are planning a surprise party."</p><p>This got a laugh out of her, and although it was congested and soft it made Liam's face break into a smile. </p><p>"Promise?" </p><p>Ruby pulled back a little, a small and tired smile on her lips. She nodded. </p><p>"I promise." </p><p>He leaned his forehead against hers and she sighed in contentment. Liam felt a sudden surge of-gratitude? sadness?-that she wasn't probing his mind to take proof for herself. That she trusted him to tell her. Or she was just too scared of what he'd seen. The thought sharpened something dark in his gut, when Ruby's soft voice cut through it all. </p><p>"I trust you, Lee. Stop thinking so loudly." </p><p>Liam would've startled if he weren't used to it by now, so only laughed, kissing her nose. His hands reached up to tenderly tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, and she closed her eyes against his hand. </p><p>"You were having a nightmare."</p><p>Ruby nodded, eyes still closed, but shoulders tensing. </p><p>"About...about the raid on Thurmond. When-I don't know how much was...exaggerated, but it was the room I found you in."</p><p>Ruby was chewing on her lip when she looked up at him, expression swimming with hurt and guilt. </p><p>He knew she felt guilty for avoiding the subject in the two weeks since they'd managed the break out. He didn't know what had happened in that room-he wanted more than anything to know, to help her heal, to hurt those who had hurt her, but he hadn't pushed her. He would wait. </p><p>Their hands were intertwined tightly, and Ruby glanced up at him apologetically, but gratitude swam in her eyes. </p><p>Liam only smiled. Part of him would always be grateful for her power-all of him, really. Never for the pain it'd caused her. But how many times it'd saved them, how she had become so much stronger. How it made them close, especially in the moments like these-where one or both was hurting and vulnerable, Ruby couldn't really help overhearing some of the more intimate details. Liam didn't mind, though. </p><p>Ruby smiled at that, too, leaning further into him. </p><p>"I don't deserve you." she told his shirt. </p><p>Liam actually laughed, chest rumbling against Ruby. He could practically feel her smile and the roll of her eyes pressed at his chest, and quieted to a smile. </p><p>"Listen, you don't have to talk about it unless you want to. But I'm here. Okay?"</p><p>Ruby was silent for a long time, and Liam had almost thought she'd fallen back asleep when she pulled back, fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. </p><p>"I'm trying to make an emotional moment, darlin', not a frisky one. There's time for that later."</p><p>He winked, but he wasn't sure how well she could see it in the dark. Apparently well enough, as he earned a laugh and a shove to the shoulder. He laughed, too, curling an arm around her shoulder. </p><p>"You're the worst." she informed him. </p><p>The genuine smile in her voice sent butterflies exploding through him, filling with happiness so loud and buzzing at the fact that he did that. That he made her smile, he made her happy. </p><p>Ruby pressed a kiss to his jaw, and he couldn't find the decency to blush if she'd heard the thought. </p><p>"They tortured me for information on you guys." </p><p>She said it matter of factly, a sort of blankness covering her tone. Liam forced himself to relax, to continue rubbing his hand up her arm. </p><p>He knew this. He did. It was just-worse. Coming out of her mouth. Seeing the twist to her full lips as she tried to slick her face back into the emotionless mask. Liam tsked at her gently, turning her face up to his with his thumb. </p><p>"Hey. No judgement here. You've seen me naked." </p><p>And just like that, the facade was shattered; Ruby laughed, even as tears ran down her cheeks and her hands trembled so hard Liam couldn't help taking them both and pressing them to his heart. She sniffled, lying her head on his chest. Tears still streamed down Ruby's cheeks, and her voice trembled, but she squeezed his hand and told him. </p><p>She told him of the man who hurt her. Of the dark look in his eyes. Of the horrible, terrible sound her leg made when it snapped. And then the impossible pain only tripling when he hit her again. </p><p>She told him how she'd made them kill each other. Her voice shook with fear, with disgust as she recounted the glass shattering in flashing, sharp shards across the floor. The gun shots that exploded through the air, sending black blood arcing onto the floor.</p><p>Liam held her close, pressed his lips to her forehead and kept them there as she told him how she'd rocked her chair over to get a grip of their minds. How the blood had stained her, invaded her every sense, until it was all she could see or hear or smell. </p><p>She finished with her breath trembling, words stilted and glossed with that exhausted, hurt tone he was too familiar with. </p><p>"I'm so sorry." was all he could say when she finished. </p><p>Ruby shrugged a little, reaching up to swipe at her nose with a sleeve. It sent a pang up through Liam's chest as he realized it was his hoodie she was wearing. </p><p>"Next time you go to bed early, tell me. I'll come with you." Liam said earnestly. </p><p>"No, Liam, it's really okay-"</p><p>He cut her off gently with a soft kiss, achingly slow and sweet as he pulled away. Ruby's eyes fluttered open, shoulders relaxing as he ran a finger down her jaw, his knuckles skimming her cheeks. </p><p>"Let me do this for you. Please." </p><p>Ruby hesitated only a second before nodding, reaching forward to wrap her arms around him. She nosed into his neck, and he closed his eyes against the embrace, bringing his arms up to her back to hold her tightly as he could. The smell of her hair-strawberries and something clean and sweet and unmistakably Ruby flooded him, and he relaxed into her at the same time she did. </p><p>"I love you. So, so much."</p><p>Her voice was quiet in the dark room, but the care in it was like she'd shouted it in his ear. He smiled, moving his head further down into her shoulder. </p><p>"I love you too, darlin'. So, so much." </p><p>Ruby's fingers tightened a little, and she curled into him that much more before her breath began to even out and he felt her doze off against him. He was careful and gentle as he maneuvered them into the bed and under the sheets, tucking Ruby securely against him before settling in himself. She mumbled something against his skin, and he smiled, pressing one more kiss to her forehead before closing his eyes.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading!!!</p><p>this scene was sm fun to write lmao like no offense but sometimes u just gotta make a character wanna be depressed so their s/o can comfort u kno</p><p>anyways lol </p><p>hope ur having a good day!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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